The UFC’s final rankings update of 2025 delivered several unexpected twists across divisions, but few raised more eyebrows than the quiet reshuffle at welterweight. Despite no loss and a win in his last fight against Belal Muhammad, Ian Garry dropped a spot as Shavkat Rakhmonov leapfrogged him, with the two swapping second and third place behind champion Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev remains firmly atop the division after claiming his second UFC belt against Jack Della Maddalena last month. Below him, however, the movement signals a shift in momentum. Garry, who picked up a solid win in Dubai and once looked close to a title opportunity, now finds that path less clear as Rakhmonov edges ahead in the pecking order. Further down the welterweight ladder, Geoff Neal and Colby Covington also exchanged places, with Neal climbing to No. 13. Those changes were part of a wider year-ending leaderboard reset sparked by UFC Vegas 112 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Manel Kape enters the elite list alongside other fighters

Serving as the final fight night of the year, the event produced thrilling finishes and flipped multiple divisions, beginning with the Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape main event. The flyweights finally met on December 13 after their June booking fell through due to Kape’s broken foot. The anticipation didn’t last long. Kape delivered a blistering first-round knockout just 3:18 into the bout, announcing himself as a true elite contender at 125 pounds. That emphatic finish was rewarded in the latest rankings update.

The fight opened competitively, with both men standing and trading, before Kape landed a crushing right hook that sent Royval to the canvas. A brief follow-up on the ground forced the referee’s stoppage, sealing a dominant TKO victory. The result vaulted Kape to No. 2 in the flyweight rankings.

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The bout started evenly for both fighters, still on their feet. However, a powerful right hook from Kape had Royval greeting the mats. A few more strikes from the top, and the referee had to step in with a TKO win for Kape. That one-sided win propelled Kape to No. 2 in the latest flyweight rankings.

Now, Kape sits just behind Alexandre Pantoja, who dropped his belt to Joshua Van after a freak elbow injury. Royval, meanwhile, dropped two spots to No. 4, slipping behind Japan’s Tatsuro Taira. The reshuffle has ignited discussions around a potential Van vs. Kape title fight, while Royval finds himself regrouping.

Vegas also delivered chaos in the featherweight division. On the undercard, Kevin Vallejos put on a striking clinic against Giga Chikadze, overcoming a significant size disadvantage to score a spectacular second-round knockout via spinning backfist. The win earned Vallejos a debut ranking at No. 13, slotting him ahead of Dan Ige and David Onama, while Chikadze fell out of the top 15 entirely.

Besides the Vegas fight night, December brought numerous other changes to the leaderboard before kicking off its 2026 season with Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight belt at UFC 324.

UFC 323 crowns new titleholders

A week before the Vegas fight night, UFC 323 had already flipped some massive narratives, none bigger than Merab Dvalishvili‘s title reign ending against Petr Yan in their duology. Yan clinched the bantamweight belt in a dominant UD win against Dvalishvili, which resulted in a face full of stitches for the latter.

Despite this loss, Dvalishvili (No. 7) gained a spot in the P4P rankings, swapping places with Tom Aspinall (No. 8), who fell back one spot. Dricus du Plessis (No. 11) also swapped spots with Joshua Van (No. 12), the new flyweight king. However, on the flyweight rankings, Van toppled Alexandre Pantoja from his throne after the latter lost his UFC belt at UFC 323.

Besides the shift in belt holders, UFC 323 propelled Payton Talbott in the bantamweight rankings to No. 11 after his statement-worthy win over former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo. Talbott claimed the bout via UD, a huge milestone for the up-and-coming star against a respected veteran like Cejudo, who fought his retirement bout at UFC 323. Montel Jackson also joined the list at No. 15, pushing Marcus McGhee out. Across the women’s flyweight rankings, only Erin Blanchfield and Miranda Maverick have made significant shifts, both rising by one spot.

Clearly, 2025 took the UFC scene by storm, crowning new champions while veterans took a backseat. With the White House event in sight now, 2026 is gearing up to bring even more status-quo-challenging matchups. Which fights are you most excited to watch? Comment below.